Identification card or badge



Oct. 31'", 1944. WHITEHEAD 2,361,670

IDENTIFICATION CARD 0R BADGE Filed Oct. 22, 1943 Patented Oct. 31, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IDENTIFICATIONOARD R BADGE Ned Whitehead, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 22, 1943, Serial No. 507,277

3 Claims.

My invention relates to an identification card or badge. and more specifically to a laminated type of identification badge.

At present a great many identification cards and badges are composed of a photograph mounted or glued to paper upon which the name of the employer company and number of the employee are placed, and this is inserted between two sheets of cellulose acetate thermoplastic which are pressed together under heat and pressure. With this laminated type of identification badge there is a possibility that a person may remove the photograph by cutting around its edges through the cellulose acetate and then making an insert of the same size as the hole from which the photograph was removed of a new photograph, covering that on the front face with cellulose acetate, and then gluing the samein position in the badge. This can be done so smoothly that it is not noticeable to the guards at the plant gates, even by close inspection of the badge.

To overcome this deficiency and prevent alteration of the photograph of an identification card or badge, I provide that a thin layer of cement with the characteristics of cellulose n trate cement be applied to the emulsion side of the photograph and allowed to dry before laminating to assure that the entire area of the same will adhere or laminate to the front cellulose. acetate cover when heat and pressure are applied. Unless such a cement is applied to the front surface of the photograph, it will not adhere to the cellulose cover when heat and pressure are applied, .as the photographic surface is slick and nonporous. I also provide as a backing a specially watermarked counterfeit-proof paper insert having gummed and ungummed alternate portions so that the back of the photograph will adhere to the paper only at desired places. These alternate portions or areas are perforated in a checkerboard manner and on the back of the paper insert, directly opposite the area gummed, ordinary cornstarch paste is placed to prevent the paper in that area from adhering, sticking or laminating to the back cellulose cover during the application of heat and pressure.

When an attempt is made to remove or peeloff the photograph by cutting around the edge through the front cellulose acetate cover, the emulsion side of the photograph adheres to the acetate because of the cement, the gummed portions on the front of the paper adhere to the back of the photograph, whereas the cornstarched portions on the back of the paper insert opposite the gummed areas do not adhere to the back cellulose acetate cover and the area not cornstarched does adhere or laminate to the back acetate cover, thereby causing the perforated checkerboard sections to tear out. Upon an attempted insertion of a new photograph, the holes and mutilation on the reverse side of the paper, as a result of the torn perforation, will be immedately apparent to the guard.

To further the impossibility of substituting photographs, I use a network of intricate fine cycloid engraved lines on the paper insert, which are placed there by ordinary engraving. In printing, special fluorescent lithographic ink can be used which cannot be replaced without showing the breaks in the printing design, either under daylight or ultraviolet light; this further prevents removal of the photograph and substitution because the forger would find it impossible to secure the same watermarked paper and match the intricate design and color of fluorescent ink that was originally used as a back pattern.

Other advantages and objects of my invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view.

F g. 2 is a broken apart side view.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the various parts of my identification card or badge.

Referring to the drawing, I and 2 comprise sheets of cellulose acetate, and placed between them is a sheet of backing paper 3 upon which is fastened or glued a photograph 4. The slick, nonporous surface of the photograph 4 must be covered with a thin filmof cement having the characteristics that guarantee that it will adhere to the cellulose acetate, thermoplastic, or similar plastic, when heat and pressure are applied. Upon the backing 3 is printed the name of the company 5 which employs the person using t e identification card or badge, and the employees number 6. The backing is perforated as shown at I to form a checkerboard pattem', and the segments formed by this checkerboard pattern are alternately coated with glue as at I and left unglued as at 9 on their front sides.

On the reverse side of the segments 8 having glue for attaching photographs, I coat the segments with cornstarch paste or a material with similar characteristics to prevent the backing from adhering to the rear cellulose acetate sheet when the heat and pressure are applied to permanently unite the entire badge or card.

When the photograph is attached to the backing by means of the glue on the glued segments 8 and the backing and photograph are placed between the cellulose sheets I and 2, the entire card or badge is permanently fastened together by the use of heat and pressure, which welds the cellulose acetate sheets I and 2 together around their rims, as at Ill, and to the face of the photograph.

If a forger should now attempt to remove the photograph by cutting around the line H, the photograph adhering to the acetate cut-out and to the glued surface of the backing cannot be removed from the backing without tearing holes in it, as the cornstarch has prevented the backing from adhering to the cellulose acetate on the segments 8, where it is glued to the photograph, while the segments 9 uncoated with glue and cornstarch paste adhere to the cellulose acetate backing. Should the forger now replace the photograph with a new one, he cannot repair the hole in the backingand the hole will be immediately apparent to the guards.

By causing the alternate sections of the backing to adhere to the photograph and the cellulose acetate, respectively, and by perforating the backing into a checkerboard, when any attempt is made to cut out the photograph a great many holes result in the backing, making it impossible to replace the backing without the removal showing. If the backing adhered to the cellulose acetate and the photograph continuously in removing the photograph by cutting a hole through one layer of cellulose it would result in the splitting of the paper backing with the printing matter undamaged on the cellulose acetate, permitting the replacement of the photograph. When the backing is perforated it adheres only to alternate sections of the photograph and the cellulose acetate, and splitting of the backing would not be possible as alternate sections would stick to the cellulose acetate and to the photograph when removed.

As a further protection against forgery of the identification card or badge, I provide, on the back l2 of the backing 3, a network of intricate cycloid engraved lines printed thereon in either ordinary ink or special fluorescent lithographic ink. As a portion of this backing will always adhere to the cellulose acetate covers I and 2,

any attempt to remove the photograph and substitute another new backing will be prevented by the inability to duplicate and match the engraving on the back, and forgery of the engraving will be apparent in ordinary light or under special ultraviolet rays.

While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I am not to be limited to any of the details set forth herein, except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an identification badge or card, a photograph, a backing, said backing being perforated to form a checkerboard arrangement, said sections formed by said perforations being alternately covered with glue on one side and corn-starch paste on the other side to hold said photograph to said backing and to prevent said backing from adhering to a cellulose acetate cover when; said backing is coated with said corn-starch paste, said backing and photographbeing incased in a cellulose acetate cover.

2. In an identification badge or card, a photograph, a backing, said backing being perforated to form a checkerboard arrangement, said sections formed by said perforations being alternately covered with glue on one side and corn-starch paste on the other side to hold said photograph to said backing and to prevent said backing from adhering to a cellulose acetate cover where said backing is coated with said corn-starchpaste, said backing having intricate fine cycloid engraved lines thereon, and said backing and photograph being incased in a cellulose acetate cover.

3. In an identification badge or card, a photograph, a backing, said backing being perforated to form a checkerboard arrangement, said sections formed by said perforations being alternately covered with glue on one side and cornstarch paste on the other side to hold said photograph to said backing and to prevent said backing from adhering to a cellulose acetate cover where said backing is coated with said corn-starch paste, said backing and photograph being incased in a cellulose acetate cover and said photograph being coated with a cement so that said photograph adheres to said cellulose acetate cover,

NED WI-II'I'EHEAD. 

